Laserfiche WebLink
marsh and gallery forest. <br /> Tall grass prairie was the dominant vegetation type at the <br /> eastern edge of the great plains. The species which comprise <br /> this type have greater moisture requirements than those <br /> species which are so prevalent in the mixed and short grass <br /> prairie. Along South Boulder Creek short grasses occur on <br /> the topographically higher areas of the floodplain (gravel <br /> bars) which are somewhat better drained and drier, and tall <br /> grasses occur on the lower more uniform alluvial deposits . <br /> Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi) , a tall grass prairie <br /> dominant, and blue grama (Boutelous gracilis) , a short grass <br /> prairie dominant, encountered in the sample reflect grazing <br /> disturbances and indicate a modification of the original <br /> vegetation. <br /> The topographically lowest parts of the floodplain are the <br /> old stream channels and abandoned meanders of South Boulder <br /> Creek. These sites are very moist and support a luxuriant <br /> growth of sedges (Carex spp. ) and prairie cordgrass (Spartina <br /> pectinata) . The plant diversity in the sedge meadows is <br /> lower than on other floodplain areas; however, two interesting <br /> species were observed along with the sedges and cordgrass : <br /> • great lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), which is an uncommon <br /> species (Weber 1971) and rice cut-grass (Leersia oryzoides) , <br /> which occurs mostly along stream banks and irrigation ditches. <br /> F-2 <br />